


No Good Deed

by DesertVixen



Category: Mageworlds Series - Debra Doyle & James D. MacDonald
Genre: F/M, Gen, Post-By Honor Betray'd, Warhammer - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2020-01-12 01:39:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18436382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesertVixen/pseuds/DesertVixen
Summary: Beka tries to make it up to the herb merchant on Raamet





	No Good Deed

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tuesday](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tuesday/gifts).



He had joked to Ignac’ LeSoit that _Space Patrolways_ had been good preparation for his life on _Warhammer_ , but Nyls Jessan had to admit that some of their adventures made Black Brok look tame. The first time he’d met Beka, she had been masquerading as Tarnekep Portree – a Mandeynan mercenary it wasn’t wise to cross. Tarnekep had been a useful disguise, but underneath the disguise was pure Beka – reckless willingness to step into blaster fire for a better ship, or nearly blowing her ship up to warn Galcen that hell was coming in the form of angry Mages. Nyls was pleased enough to leave Tarnekep in the past, along with the Iron Crown. 

Now Beka was just Beka – although that didn’t make her any more restful to be around.

Their current cruise through Mageworld space had been a fairly quiet one. Running cargos, making connections and profits, and doing a little informal mapping and intelligence gathering on the side. They were under no real obligation to do so, but as Beka had commented, they weren’t walking around with their eyes closed. It was…instructive. 

He had noticed on their first trip how low-tech everything was on the Mageworld side of the Net. They hadn’t suffered the same destruction as planets like Entibor and Sapne, but Nyls thought this was almost worse, as if it was a daily reminder of Galcen’s contempt. He could see how it had driven them to strike back.

Nyls had enjoyed the quiet, the routine, the lack of danger, but he had known that eventually they would get bored, and Beka would be driven to do something crazy.

Eventually – unless something happened to break the monotony.

Of course, Nyls reflected now as he took his position at Warhammer’s guns, he should have remembered an age-old phrase, right up there with “Be careful what you wish for”.

_No good deed goes unpunished._

***  
Just before Beka’s crazy run from the Net through to Galcen to bring the news that a Mageworld force was invading, they had been picking up small cargos, mostly medicinal herbs on Raamet. They had been forced to space the cargo. Beka had sent the herb merchant a draft, but it hadn’t really improved their customer satisfaction rating. On the other hand, Nyls thought, the guy could always capitalize on his historic loss for some publicity, now that Galcen and the Mageworlds enjoyed a true peace.

But with all the changes in the galaxy, nothing was simple anymore. They had decided to hit two targets with one shot by hauling a medical cargo to Maraghai. Ari Rosselin-Metadi and Mistress Llannat Hyfid – both late of Space Fleet – had retired there to find what peace and quiet they could find, and open a medical clinic on the High Ridge. Beka and Nyls would be able to turn a tidy profit, benefit Maraghai, and get a chance to relax.

It had been an excellent plan, until Beka decided to pick up another cargo from the herb merchant on Raamet and run it free of charge. It wasn’t their only cargo – _Warhammer_ was carrying a mixed bag of medical supplies, including some of the eibriyu substance that made for Mageworld medical miracles. It was one of their best kept secrets, but the First of All the Circles had requested some for Maraghai, and her word carried weight.

It should have been quiet, a peaceful little run. 

It had been quiet until they had almost reached the boundary between Galcen and the Mageworlds. The herb merchant on Raamet had recommended another stop for a particular herb, rumored to be particularly effective on Selvaur physiology. Nyls supposed he should have been suspicious, but he’d been thinking like a medic, not a pirate. 

The stop was Jolayn Station near the Net, not quite a backwater but not a bustling hub of commerce either. Their dealings on the station had been fairly easy – almost too easy, Nyls realized now – and it wasn’t until they were planning to make their run to Maraghai that he noticed Beka giving the scanners a wary glance.

“What’s up?”

“We’re being shadowed,” she replied tersely. “I’m starting to think maybe our friend on Raamet is not overly concerned about his shipment’s safety.”

“He doesn’t seem to appreciate the business opportunities you’ve offered him,” Nyls said. 

“I just wonder why they think they can take us on,” Beka muttered. Her father had upgraded _Warhammer’s_ engines off the books, and she had followed that family tradition on their last visit to Gyffer. They should be able to outshoot or outrun anything short of a capital ship. “Take the guns.”

*** 

It was tempting simply to make a run and avoid the ships waiting for them, but playing it safe wasn’t Beka’s style. If there was something going on out here in Mageworld space, they needed to know back on Galcen. That, and she didn’t care for the feeling that someone had drawn a target on her back. Her brother had commented that the area would be full of pirates and scoundrels, and that Beka would fit right in.

She didn’t care much for pirates.

“Merchant ship, stand by and prepare to be boarded.” The communication had the tinny quality of bad comms equipment.

“On whose authority?” With the collapse of the Net, there was very little in the way of law and order in this area. Galcen was supposed to contribute some ships and people to the problem, but neither side rated this area as a major problem.

“You are carrying stolen goods from Raamet. Stand by and prepare to be boarded.”

“I don’t think so,” Beka said under her breath. Their failure to identify themselves was not helping convince her of their legitimacy.

“If you do not stand by to be boarded, we will be forced to fire on you.”

“If you fire on this ship – a Reserve Merchant Vessel – I will return fire.” Beka let her coldest Galcen tones come through. “We are willing to return to Jolayn Station and remove this suspected stolen cargo, but I will not stand by to be boarded.”

Their answer came in the form of a shot across _Warhammer’s_ bow, glancing off the shields with no damage.

“Perhaps we should let them board,” Nyls said over the intraship circuit, barely suppressed laughter in his voice. “They seem quite determined.” 

“Target their engines,” Beka told him. “I don’t feel like playing with them anymore.”

Nyls was an excellent shot, and disabling the smaller ship without destroying it was easy enough. Beka programmed their next jump, then paused. Nyls had come back up to the bridge, just in time to see one of Tarnekep Portree’s smiles on Beka’s face.

“What are you thinking?” Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too dangerous, he thought.

“We wouldn’t want to risk carrying stolen goods, now, would we?”

He grinned. “And risk damaging our reputation? No, I think not.”

“That’s what I think too,” she said. “Space the Raamet cargo.”

This time, she was definitely not going to bother sending a draft.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy it! It's not a great space adventure, but I did enjoy working with these two! I hope it scratches your itch.


End file.
